Page 7 of The Vendetti Soldier

I fell in love with his soul before I could even touch his skin. - unknown

Mischa

“Twins…” Mr. Vendetti murmurs,taking in each of us from head to toe. His wife leans in, and I manage to catch part of her whisper complimenting our bone structure to him. I already met them, but the other night it was only Papa and me, and we didn’t mention how I’m a twin, only that my brother wasn’t feeling well from the flight. Rorik had horrible jet lag from the flight and thought he may’ve been coming down with something. Turns out his sickness was just his nerves, and after some rest, he was fine again. He definitely wasn’t going to miss his chance for a second time to meet any of the infamous Vendettis. We’ve been reading about them ourentire lives and watching them from afar; to have the chance to have a sit down with them is beyond our fantasies, and we have my father’s powerful position in the Russian mafia to thank for it.

“Yes. And we’re very close,” I reply, stepping near enough to my brother to loop my arm through his. “Family iseverything.”

Rorik chimes in, wearing his usual charming smile, “We share everything. Where my sister goes, I go.”

“Your English is phenomenal, and please call me Violet. It’s an absolute pleasure to meet you; I’m glad you could join us this time.”

Papa beams with pride at her compliments. He loves when his children appear above average in any situation, especially in a country supposedly foreign to us. It’s not, though; we’ve always traveled all over the world and going to college here helped immensely in bridging the final gap.

“We studied business in America,” Rorik offers, and both the Vendettis’ eyes light up with interest. I find it hard to believe they don’t already know all the basics about us. I have a feeling they’ve thoroughly done their homework on as much of my family as possible. Their poker faces are extraordinary, though; they must fool nearly every opponent they come across into believing they’re not already five steps ahead of everyone else in the room.

It takes everything in me to hold back from commenting on how I’m not only a baby-making factory, but I also possess a brain as well. I don’t want to put a sour taste in their mouths, however, so I hold back and paste on a pleasant expression, as my intelligence and capabilities can come into play after I’ve secured one of their rings on my finger.

“I’ve heard you’re a remarkably smart woman, Violet. You were top of your class in university, all while your oldest child was a baby, correct? Learning multiple languages at the same time?” My brother continues to charm her the way he does with practically everyone he comes across. It’s what makes us a good team; I plot various escapades, often stirring up a bit of trouble, and he cushions the blow however I need him to.

“I had to,” she indulges him with a conspiratorial grin. “Matteo was fluent in five languages when we first met. I felt a little out of my element, and when he finally agreed to me attending college, I was all in to learn as much as possible.”

Matteo disagrees, staring at his wife with adoration. “Nonsense, mia Violetta. You were perfecto the first time I saw you, and you prove as much every day.”

Aw.

Okay, that made my heart skip a beat. I love how he can be positively ruthless in the mob business but obviously still able to be sweet on his wife at the drop of a dime. They weren’t quite so open the other night with their thoughts and affections, so Papa and I must’ve made a good impression. Not only did weimmediately get invited to return for dinner, but the Vendettis seem much more relaxed tonight.

“Dinner is served.” We’re interrupted by a servant, whom both Violet and the Capo graciously thank. So far, they’ve surprised me. There are rumors of how none of their staff will turn on them, nor the Capo’s men. I thought the stories were fabricated to make them appear untouchable, but I’m beginning to wonder if there’s weight in the words whispered about this family. If it’s truly the case, then they’re the closest to being invincible you can possibly be in the underground world, and marrying one of them will provide me with safety like never before. I haven’t thought of it too much, but I know Papa worries endlessly about having a prince and printsessa in the Bratva. We’re a walking target, always, and any added layer of protection would be welcomed.

The servant leads the way to a lush dining room, the table lavishly decorated with heavy black and white linens. The multiple chandeliers create an ambiance of warmth and beauty as the light shines off the fluted crystal glasses and small china dishes meant for our appetizers. The white and pale pink peonies in the center add a personal touch, telling me Violet had a say in this setup. I love knowing the matriarch of the family literally has her hands in everything; it gives me hope that they will be welcoming to another intelligent woman joining their family.

The Capo pauses before getting to the doorway, “A word, Yuri?” With a nod, he and Papa head down a hallway while we enter the dining room, and I look to Violet for direction.

“There are place cards in each setting, but before we sit, would you like a plate of appetizers? With how big our famiglia is, we eat a majority of our food buffet-style. Dinner will be served traditionally, of course, as you are our guests, but various finger foods have been laid out over here for us to begin with at our discretion.” She gestures off to the side, taking the small plate from her spot to get us started.

“Thank you,” I mutter while Rorik’s gaze takes in the full spread. He’s not one to miss a meal, and oftentimes we stay up watching movies while stuffing our mouths with chips and popcorn. The best is movie theatre butter popcorn with cheese sprinkled on top. I could eat it every day of the week, but my brother swears it’ll make us hate it.

“This looks delicious. Thank you,” Rorik compliments while following Violet and loading his appetizer plate in a heaping pile. I select a small piece of bread that has a chopped tomato-looking mixture on top, a mini kabob laden with cheese, olives, tomatoes, and some thinly rolled meat. Lastly, I add a mini stuffed mushroom and make my way to Rorik, where he gestures I sit at the table across from him, noting my neighbors are Violet and Luciano Vendetti, according to the place cards.

“The famiglia will be in shortly; let’s sit and begin with these while we wait for everyone to arrive.” She turns just enough so she has both of us in her sights. “So tell me, why are the two of you single? Or are you already spoken for, Rorik?”

He glances at me and I nod, giving him permission to answer for both of us. “My dear sister’s engagement fell through because we found her betrothed was betraying our family, which I’m sureyou’re aware of as much. As for me, my father hasn’t decided on whom he’d like me to marry yet. I’m sure he has someone in mind.”

“Hmm. And both of youwantto marry? You’re ready?”

I nod, meeting her curious gaze. “We’ve gotten our degrees, had a chance to live a little, now we’re going stir crazy at home. We love Papa, but we’re ready to start our own lives and have families with whoever those people may be.”

We’re interrupted by multiple voices, and as the Capo and Papa make their way in, a group of people follows behind. The Capo directs at the closest servant, “Switch Luciano and Santino’s place cards.”

“Sì, Mr. Vendetti,” the woman dutifully replies and hurries to do so. The others stand back, waiting.

My brow raises as I take in the new name beside mine. I wasn’t expecting Santino to be in my vicinity, more like Valentino, although he’s rumored to be cruel, or even Luciano made sense. Perhaps Papa and the Capo changed their minds because Santino and I are the same age? It doesn’t matter to me as long as I get at least one Vendetti, and personally, I think they’re all good looking, but Santino is gorgeous. According to the photos I’ve seen online, he resembles his late mother, and she was stunning.

Watching the brothers move to their respective places, I swear Luciano releases a heavy, relieved breath and for some reason,it irks me. He could do much worse in life than having to marry me. I have a line of suitors vying for my hand; I always have, and if it weren’t for me planting the idea in Papa’s ear, we wouldn’t be considering a Vendetti at all right now.

Santino pulls his chair out, and the moment he sits, a whiff of his cologne hits me. It smells so good it has my pussy clenching, wanting more of whatever he’s got. His pheromones must be insane to affect me this strongly; I wonder if he was working out or something before dinner? He’s certainly bigger than the photos lead on; the man has muscles under his suit in all the right places. “Santino,” he offers with a tilt of his head, voice low but strong, turning and holding his palm to me. I place my fingers in his, and he instantly leans in, lightly kissing my knuckles. “Pleasure, bella.”

Feeling a bit choked up in his overwhelming presence, I manage a soft, “Mischa.” I glance to my brother and notice his head is tilted toward Luciano as they quietly introduce themselves as well.

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